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rfc:rfc1606

Network Working Group J. Onions Request for Comments: 1606 Nexor Ltd. Category: Informational 1 April 1994

       A Historical Perspective On The Usage Of IP Version 9

Status of this Memo

 This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
 does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
 this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

 This paper reviews the usages of the old IP version protocol. It
 considers some of its successes and its failures.

Introduction

 The take-up of the network protocol TCP/IPv9 has been phenomenal over
 the last few years. Gone are the days when there were just a few
 million hosts, and the network was understood. As the IP version 9
 protocol comes to the end of its useful life, once again due to
 address space exhaustion, we look back at some of the success of the
 protocol.

Routing

 The up to 42 deep hierarchy of routing levels built into IPv9 must
 have been one of the key features for its wide deployment. The
 ability to assign a whole network, or group of networks to an
 electronic component must be seen as one of the reasons for its
 takeup. The use of the Compact Disk Hologram units is typical of the
 usage. They typically have a level 37 network number assigned to each
 logical part, and a level 36 network number assigned to the whole
 device. This allows the CDH management protocol to control the unit
 as a whole, and the high-street vendor to do remote diagnostics on
 discreet elements of the device. This still allows sub-chip routing
 to be done using the 38th level addressing to download new nanocode.
 As yet, no requirement has been found for levels 40-42, with level 39
 still being used for experimental interrogation of atomic structure
 of components where required.

Onions [Page 1] RFC 1606 Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9 1 April 1994

Allocation

 The vast number space of the IPv9 protocol has also allowed
 allocation to be done in a straight forward manner. Typically, most
 high street commercial internet providers issue a range of 1 billion
 addresses to each house. The addresses are then dynamically
 partitioned into subnet hierarchies allowing groups of a million
 addresses to be allocated for each discreet unit (e.g., room/floor
 etc.) The allocation of sub groups then to controllers such as light
 switches, mains sockets and similar is then done from each pool.
 The allocation process is again done in a hierarchical zoned way,
 with each major application requesting a block of addresses from its
 controller. In this way the light bulb requests an address block from
 the light switch, the light switch in turn from the electrical system
 which in turn requests one from the room/floor controller. This has
 been found to be successful due to the enormous range of addresses
 available, and contention for the address space being without
 problems typically.
 Whilst there are still many addresses unallocated the available space
 has been sharply decreased. The discovery of intelligent life on
 other solar systems with the parallel discovery of a faster-than-
 light transport stack is the main cause. This enables real time
 communication with them, and has made the allocation of world-size
 address spaces necessary, at the level 3 routing hierarchy. There is
 still only 1 global (spatial) level 2 galaxy wide network required
 for this galaxy, although the establishment of permanent space
 stations in deep space may start to exhaust this. This allows level 1
 to be used for inter-galaxy routing. The most pressing problem now is
 the case of parallel universes.  Of course there is the danger of
 assuming that there is no higher extrapolation than parallel
 universes...
 Up to now, the hacking into, and setting of holo-recorder devices to
 the wrong channel from remote galaxies, has not been confirmed, and
 appears to be attributable to finger problem with the remote control
 whilst travelling home from the office.

Applications

 The introduction of body monitors as IPv9 addresseable units injected
 into the blood stream has been rated as inconclusive. Whilst being
 able to have devices lodged in the heart, kidneys, brain, etc.,
 sending out SNMPv9 trap messages at critical events has been a useful
 monitoring tool for doctors, the use of the blood stream as both a
 delivery and a communication highway, has been problematic. The
 crosstalk between the signals moving through the blood stream and the

Onions [Page 2] RFC 1606 Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9 1 April 1994

 close proximity of nerves has meant that patients suffering multiple
 events at once, can go into violent spasm. This, coupled with early
 problems with broadcasts storms tending to make patients blood boil,
 have led to a rethink on this whole procedure. Also, the requirement
 to wear the silly satellite dish hat has led to feelings of
 embarrassment except in California, where it is now the latest trend.
 The usage of IPv9 addresseable consumer packaging has been a topic of
 hot debate. The marketing people see it as a godsend, being able to
 get feedback on how products are actually used. Similarly, the
 recycling is much improved by use of directed broadcast, "All those
 packages composed of cardboard respond please." Consumers are not so
 keen on this seeing it as an invasion of privacy. The introduction of
 the handy-dandy directed stack zapper (which is also rumoured to be
 IPv9 aware) sending directed broadcasts on the local food package net
 effectively resetting the network mask to all 1's has made this an
 area of choice.
 The advent of the IPv9 magazine was universally approved of. Being
 able to ask a magazine where its contents page was the most useful of
 the features. However combined with the networked newspaper/magazine
 rack, the ability to find out where you left the magazine with the
 article that was concerned with something about useage of lawn mowers
 in outer space is obvious. The ability to download reading habits
 automatically into the house controller and therefore alert the
 reader of articles of similar ilk is seen as marginal. Alleged
 querying of this information to discover "deviant" behaviour in
 persons within political office by members of contending parties is
 suspected
 Sneakernet, as pioneered by shoe specialists skholl is seen to be a
 failure. The market was just not ready for shoes that could forward
 detailed analysis of foot odour to manufacturers...

Manufacture

 Of course, cost is one of the issues that was not considered when
 IPv9 was designed. It took a leap of imagination to believe that one
 day anything that wished to be could be IPv9 addresseable. It was
 assumed that IPv9 protocol machines would drop in price as with
 general chip technology. Few people would have forseen the advance in
 genetic manipulation that allowed viruses to be instructed to build
 nano-technology IPv9 protocol machines by the billion for the price
 or a grain of sugar. Or similarly, the nano-robots that could insert
 and wire these in place.

Onions [Page 3] RFC 1606 Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9 1 April 1994

 The recent research in quark-quark transistors, shows some promise
 and may allow specially built atoms to be used as switches. The
 manufacture of these will be so expensive (maybe up to 10cent an IPv9
 stack) as to be prohibitive except for the most highly demanding
 niches.

Conclusions

 Those who do not study history, are doomed to repeat it.

Security Considerations

 Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Author's Address

 Julian Onions
 Nexor Ltd.
 PO Box 132
 Nottingham NG7 2UU, ENGLAND
 Phone: +44 602 520580
 EMail: j.onions@nexor.co.uk

Onions [Page 4]

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